Analysis & Opinion

Nov 21 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the
Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. Reuters has not verified these
stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

* Federal prosecutors charged a Wall Street portfolio
manager in what they described as the most lucrative
insider-trading scheme ever, but their ultimate target appeared
to be one of Wall Street's most successful and prominent
investors: hedge-fund giant Steven Cohen. ()

* Hewlett-Packard Co said on Tuesday it had been
duped into overpaying for one of its largest acquisitions,
contributing to an $8.8 billion write-down and a huge quarterly
loss. The company said that an internal investigation had
revealed "serious accounting improprieties" and "outright
misrepresentations" in connection with U.K. software maker
Autonomy, which HP acquired for $11.1 billion in October 2011.()

* Former UBS AG trader Kweku Adoboli was found
guilty of fraud and sentenced to seven years in prison in
connection with a $2.3 billion loss that hobbled the Swiss bank
and triggered an upheaval there whose repercussions continue to
this day. ()

* News Corp, owner of Harper Collins Publishers,
has expressed interest to CBS Corp about acquiring its
Simon & Schuster book business, according to people familiar
with the talks. The people described the discussions as
preliminary and cautioned that a deal isn't imminent. ()

* Hostess Brands Inc will continue down the path to a full
liquidation after a last-ditch mediation session with its
striking bakers' union failed to save the Twinkie maker. ()